Coffin-handle



(No Model.)

L. E. WOODARD.

GOFFIN HANDLE.

No. 453,527. Patented June 2,1891.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR w. 46 W. 5W

V a ij B A TTOHNE Y8 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN E. \VOODARD, OF O\VOSSO, MICHIGAN.

COFFIN-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,527, dated June 2,1891.

Application filed March 2, 1891. Serial No. 383.506. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN E. WooDARD, of Owosso, in the county ofShiawassee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Colin-Handles, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact descrip tion.

The objects of this invention are to provide a coffin-handle, preferablymade of wood, which will be strong, light, and shapely, and which may beconveniently covered with fabric of the same quality and color as thatused to face the exterior of the coffin or casket.

A further object is to furnish hinge-joints for a preferably wooden andcloth-covered handle-bar, which are adapted for adjustment to suitdilferent diameters of cylindrical handle-bars, and afford means for thestable connection of the handle-bar to the side of a casket or coffin.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front side view of the improved device in position on acoffin-side broken. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the handle-bar,one of the rocking arms of the handle partly broken away, an ornamentalabutment-disk for the rocking arm, and a portion of the coffin-sidewhereon the device is secured, the section being taken on the line 2 2in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view of one rocking arm ofthe device, showing the surface that is opposite the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

The handle-bar A may be made of any suitable material, wood beingpreferred for its construction. Itis elongated and cylindrical, mainly,having its end portions a ornamentally shaped in any preferred design.An exterior envelope of fibrous material-such as black cloth-is appliedto the handle-bar A and thereon secured, thus aifording an appropriatefinish to the same At equal distances from the ends a of the handle-barA the similar rocking arms B are secured. The arms 13 may be formed ofwood or other material in any preferred shape suitable for theirservice, and as a preferred means to connect the arms with the handlebarA at on end and provide a hinge-joint connection between their oppositeends and the side of a coifin the strap hinge C shown in Figs. 2 and 3is utilized. The arms B are scalloped inwardly at their ends I) toafford a conforming surface between said ends and the exterior of thehandle-bar A, whereon they bear.

A longitudinal channel 1) is cut centrally in the lower surface of eachrocking arm B to permit the embedment of the strap-pieces c of thehinges C therein below the edges 0 of the arms. The strap-pieces 0 eachconsists of a strip of sheet metal, which is bent into loop form, so asto encircle the handle-bar A, the end portions being lapped, and, asshown in Fig. 3, the exterior lapped piece 0 (shown broken away) isperforated to receive a screw d, which is inserted through the slot (1'in the other end portion 0', and into the arms 13, thus holding the armsclamped upon the handlebar at any desired point, as the provision of theslots in the strap-pieces enables an adjustment to be effected, so as toclamp upon bars having slightly-different diameters, and thus compensatefor a variation in thickness of the coveringcloth.

There are two ornamental disks 6 provided for each handlebar A, whichare attached at a proper distance from each end of the coffin directlyupon the sides D, and are designed to aiford an ornamental finish to thesurface and cover the joints of the arms B with said sides. Each disk 6has a slot out in it from a point near the center through the edge, asat e, these slots in the rosettes being parallel and separated such aproportionate distance that they will.receive the arms B and permit thelatter to vibrate freely when loosely secured, as will be explained.

The end portions 0 of the strap-pieces C are each folded over the centerbar of a staple-bolt g and loosely secured to the same by a screw it,thus permitting the arm to flex upon the bolt.

A cloth covering is secured upon the arms B and abutm ent-disks e, whichlatter are given any preferred form on their edges. The handles areaffixed at any proper point on the coffin or casket sides oppositely,any suitable number being provided for the portage of the cofiin. Thesupporting-arms B of the handlebars A are attached directly upon thesides of the coffiu by the staple-bolts g, the limbs of which areinserted through perforations in a coffin-side wall D, as shown in Fig.2, and therein secured by the nuts and washers g, the limbs of thestaple-bolts first passing through holes in the abutment-disks e, whichalign with the perforations mentioned, so that there is no draft-strainupon the abutmentdisks, the weight being transferred from the bolts g tothe arms B and handle-bars A.

Upon the edges of the arms B, at properpoints i, a shoulder is producedon each arm, which shoulders engage with the exterior surface of theabutment-disks by overlapping the same, as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 2, so that the arms B and attached handlebars A will project andafiord convenient grippieces when grasped and elevated for service.

It will be observed that the method of attaching the handle-bars A tothe coffin-sides avoids all contingency of accident. Furthermore, thepeculiar construction of the adj ustable strap a for the hinge-jointspermits a reliable connection tobe produced between the arms B,handle-bars A, and coffin-sides D, so that an inexpensive, neat, andsubstantial coffin-handle is thus produced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A coffin-handle consisting of an elongated barhaving each end portion hinged to a handle-arm by longitudinally-adjustable enveloping-straps that also lap upon the cross-bars ofstaple-bolts, substantially as described.

2. In a coffin-handle, a handle-bar clasped by sheet-metal strips thatare adjustable in their looped portions, which clasp the bar and arelap-jointed upon the cross-bars of staplebolts, substantially as setforth.

3. In a coffin-handle, the combination, with two slotted disks orornamental projections that are affixed to the side of a coffin, of ahandle-bar and an arm loosely clasped to each end portion of saidhandle-bar, which arms impinge on the disks, work in their slots and areheld by the bar-clasps to staple-bolts,

- substantially as described.

4. In a coffin-handle, the combination, with a handle-bar, of two armsthat are each grooved on one side to receive a sheet-metal strappiece,and scalloped inwardly at one end to fit on the handle-bar of asheet-metal strap piece for each arm, which strap-pieces are.

bent to encirclethe handle-bar and have their lapped portions securedadjustably upon the arms in their grooves, one end of each strappiecehaving a lapped connection with the cross-bar of a staple-bolt,substantially as described. v 1

